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Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Good morning ladies! (at least…I assume you’re all ladies reading this, who knows!) Anywho I wanted to stop in quick and share some really awesome God has been doing. So I mentioned it before, but last week was my church’s annual VBS where we partner with another local church to offer a free sports camp to the kids in our area. Well, on Sunday my pastor shared this year’s stats and they blew me away! We had 155 children come through last week. One-fifty-five! Woah dude. We averaged about 128 kiddos a night. Aaaaaand 85 of the children had no church affiliation…can we talk about how awesome it is that all of their families got to experience God through what we did?!!? On Friday night, we hosted a barbeque for the families. Including the 100+ staff members, we had over 300 people attend that night.

But regardless of the numbers, God is good. (all the time) These children got to run around and play sports for a few hours AND hear about God. I have such a heart for kids so this just makes me so joyful! To think that I played a part in this awesomeness is so exciting. My hope is that the experience the kids had will continue to affect them as they realize that God is an awesome God. I pray that each of them builds a desire to know Him.
Here are some pictures from Friday’s BBQ:Top: The Chick-Fil-A cow stopped by for a visit…Brian and Ryan would not release the poor bovine // My friends Amanda & Brian (he’s rocking my sunglasses) // My adorable friend Kristen and her popcornBottom: Amanda & I…twinsss // Did I mention I was in a pirate skit that night?! I’m Sir Sinful ARGGHH! // Oh you know, just pirating around. casual.
Last week was wonderful, I am so happy I was able to help out. God’s power is so strong and I am in awe of the ways He works, even through a sports camp :)

Sunday, July 29, 2012

“Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassadorin chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.”~Ephesians 6:19-20

Today in church my pastor taught about how we are sent as ambassadors of God. None of this is new news to me, but it got me thinking. He talked about how we are called to live out our faith, but that’s not all. We also need to always be prepared to share the gospel. It is a message after all, messages have words! When I think about my relationships, at home and at school, I find a common theme. I tend to do “good things” or act like the “good girl.” I find it so easy to rely on my actions to speak for me. But let’s get real…my actions are not always honoring to God. Actually, a lot of times they aren’t. I am beginning to realize this is because I am so passive about my faith. I expect people to know I am a Christian, see that I live differently, and then poof! they are saved! Well it doesn’t always work like that. Some people, no matter how much you show God, need to hear His truths to believe. I need to be willing to bring Him up in conversation (shocker!). Nothing about my faith can be passive. If I am waiting for God to use me, I will be waiting forever. He calls us now, broken as we are, to serve. We are not called to pick the option that seems best for us, but to accept His option and know that it is best. When I really think about all of the people I see in my everyday life, I realize that there are a lot of lives I can impact.

There’s that saying that “everyone is on average approximately six steps away, by way of introduction, from any other person on Earth.” Think about that, we are all six degrees of seperation (cue Kevin Bacon) away from any other person! As Christians, this give us a huge opportunity to be world changers. We are ambassadors of God, to everyone we encounter. I think it’s time I start putting that into perspective.

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Hello gals! I have some exciting news for you…well its super exciting for me at least. I filled up my entire devotional journal!!! Eeeeeeee I’m so happy! Now, this may not seem like a big deal to you, but it is huge for me. I have always been so bad about being consistent with my daily quiet times, but this summer, God was really telling me that I needed to change. I needed to become more dependent on Him. I've heard that it takes 21 days for something to become habit, which means I’ve actually made my time with God a habit. And boy has it been helpful. God has been pushing me more in these past 6 weeks than He has in a long time, and I’m finally being responsive :)

Here is my old journal: My youth leader gave me this journal last summer as a graduation gift. Unfortunately, I only used it for small group planning and sermon notes on Sundays while I was at school. In those 9 months, I didn’t even manage to fill it halfway. But since the summer started, I kicked it into gear and poured my thoughts, worries, and prayers out onto these pages. It became my journal to God.

Of course since I finished my journal…I HAD to go buy a new one, right? (ok does anyone else get as excited about this as I do??) So I hopped into my car and drove over to Target, avoided the clothing section with all my might, and made my way to the journal isle. So many choices!!

I ended up buying this bad boy:Isn’t it cute? It has 160 pages just waiting for me to write in! Andddd its hard-bound, so I won’t be tempted to rip out pages for random things.

I also bought these cute little journals that came in a 3-pack. My goal is to use them as prayer journals. (and I have multiple so I can’t run out!…I’m thinking I'll use the green first) God has been leading me to start being selfless and more intentional with people, so these are only for the prayers and needs of others! Aren’t the little quotes just darling?!

Well here’s my set: I can’t wait to see how God molds me through the time I devote in them
Also, if anyone has any prayer requests they would like me to pray for, please don’t hesitate to shoot me an email (found on my contact page) I would love to pray for you!
“For God gave us a spirit not of fear, but of power, love, and sound mind.”
~2 Timothy 1:7

Friday, July 27, 2012

Since it was such a hit last week, I’m linking up with Ashley from Adventures of Newlyweds again for some Friday’s Letters!

Dear Chelsea, thanks for coming over the other day and making chocolate-covered pretzels with me; I’ve missed our girl time. Dear Pinterest, thank you SOOO much for showing my mom and me this picture…we laughed for five minutes straight. It was necessary. Dear Professor Erickson, why don’t you have my test graded yet?!? :( Dear Sports Jam kiddos, I am so sad that VBS is done tonight…you kids have been a blast! Dear rain, you were very pretty to drive through last night. Nothing shows God’s wonder & power like some crazy thunder! Dear Pappa Bear, I am so glad you’re home from your business trip…I’ve missed you. Dear late-night texting conversations with friends, you always seem to be the most random (and funniest) Thanks for that! Dear Chai tea and berries, you are the best breakfast….mmmmm. Dear Olympics, I'm so pumped to watch you! Dear Kim, tomorrow!!! Tomorrow I get to see you and meet little Molly...I am a tad excited about it :p

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

This week is an exciting week for me, one of my favorites of the year. Why you ask?…well because it is my church’s VBS! For the past few years, my church has partnered up with another local church to offer a free sports camp to kids ages 5-12. They get to play soccer, basketball, football, and cheerleading. I love this camp because it offers the kids in my community the opportunity to experience God while having a great time running around and being…well kids :p So far, we’ve been averaging around 130 kids a night….130!!!! Talk about cra—zy! The best part is that about two-thirds of these children don’t go to our churches. That’s a whole lot of kids (and families) hearing about our Lord, maybe for the first time! It’s good stuff people. Anywho, I’m paired up with my friend Jess and we have five adorable 5-7 year old kiddos in our group for the week. I am only able to help out Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (stupid night Calc class), but I can already tell you that I’m loving this time with the kids…they are so energetic and fun! I can’t wait to see how God is going to use me the rest of this week :)

And without further adieu…my iPhone photos of the week: Top: My cat obviously not approving of my study methods (or she was just bitter because I wouldn’t pet her) // My favorite coral pants, which of course I wore on a rainy day // My yay-I-am-a-registered-PA-voter happy face…woot woot Bottom: My friend Kim and I reached level 300 on Draw Something (yes, I am aware we may be the last people in the world still playing. deal with it) // My over-priced & under-filled espresso macchiato I bought Friday…so much for trying new coffee shops :( // An attempt to capture the cuteness of a local town…and creeping on that cool car. whoops.

Top: Naturally, some #shereadstruth- a humble reminder that God is, in fact, all that I need // another installation of weird-places-my-cats-sleep. Sinks are where it’s at apparently // A ginormous blackberry from a local market. It was yummo Bottom: The verse of the day on my bible app…mirroring one of my favorite songs we sing at Intervarsity back at BU // Just being artsy with my purity ring & bible // More devotional time with my Savior, the refreshing start to my day♥

And Now for more of my pictures from the Instagram Photo a Day Challenge…I really need to step up my game for the last few days that are left of the month, I am really slacking:
Day 20: Eyes // Day 21: 9 O’clock // Day 22: Upside down // Day 25: Heart

Well, that’s all my iPhone has to say for now, I’m off to bake my little heart out!

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Can I just start out by saying how glad I am that I did that Friday’s Letters post? Let’s just say it caused me to add about 6 more lovely ladies to my reading list. Ok, that's actually kind of a problem…I’m enabling my addiction! (At least I have BlogLovin’ to keep track of everyone) Oh, and shout out to the girls that left me the comments, I’m glad you’re loving coral as much as I am!!

So last night couldn’t have been more girly if it tried. My mom took part in a fashion night at the local Dress Barn. She modeled clothes that fit her body type. And let me tell you, the manager, Karen, who hosted the event was just about as sweet as pie…I’m banking that one her southern roots. My mom’s friend Judy even stopped by to join in the fun. Now, I LOVE shopping, so getting to help my momma pick out some new duds was a blast!

Ain’t my mom a babe? Obviously, got my good look from that woman ;p

Oh, and I was kinda proud of the outfit I wore…so naturally I took advantage of the three-way mirror the store had

Afterwards, we went out to dinner just the two of us. I must say, I love this woman to bits! She is so giving & loving; she literally lights up the room! Even though we have our moments, we get along so well because we are just so alike. It is truly an honor when people tell me how much they love her or how we are a lot alike. I’d say she’s a pretty great woman to look up to, and she’s always been my biggest fan!

So here’s to you Momma Bear,
I love you so so much, even though sometimes I forget to say it. You make me laugh so hard and fill me with so much joy♥
Love, Pud

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Ever have those moments where you know god is REALLY trying to tell you something? Well, I am. Lately God has really put two verses on my heart….and they’ve been popping up everywhere! I’m talking Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, my devotional times…not to mention I even have them up on my inspiration wall. Well I guess I finally got the hint:

I’ve been going through a lot of faith-based changes in my life recently. I got out of a relationship at the end of the school year that wasn’t pure and pleasing to God. I’m not going to sugar coat this…it’s been hard. I miss him, but know the path we were going down wasn’t a good one. It was negatively affecting my walk with God. I denied that there was anything wrong with our relationship for far too long. And honestly, although the break up was very smooth and mutual, it was probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. Seeing him hurting and knowing we still care about each other dearly makes me ache. But I know deep down that it needed to happen. He wasn’t in a place with God that could help me grow. Despite the pain, God has given me a sense of peace throughout it all. I know that as much as I miss those aspects of our relationship that I can’t have back, God has a plan. He allowed me to go through this trial to teach and grow me. It showed me the depths of why you should not date someone who can’t support and challenge you with your faith. I have also been so challenged to grow in my walk with God since summer began. It’s like God has called me to reassess who I am so I can find my identity in Him alone. I have been consistent with my daily quiet times for the first time ever! I am learning how to be stretched and pulled by God, and I am finally being open and honest with Him about my struggles and temptations. I am truly beginning to comprehend that God does in fact have plans to prosper me. I cannot lean on my own understanding. And if I trust him, whole-heartedly, He WILL make my paths straight.

So ladies, I don’t know which of you out there are reading this and are struggling with a relationship that isn’t honoring God, but just know its not worth it. Why settle for a man who doesn’t love God so much more than you? Why create emotional and physical baggage that you are going to carry with you? God is still in the process of revealing my beautifully-written love story. He has shown me small glimpses of what I am looking for in my future husband, and I can’t even imagine the rest! He’s written yours too…and its more beautiful than any book or movie. So don’t sell yourself short; God’s plan is better! ♥

Friday, July 20, 2012

So I’ve seen on a few of the blogs I read these posts where they link up with other bloggers, and I’ve decided to give it a whirl! Today I am doing my first “Friday’s Letters” post courtesy of Ashley at Adventures of Newlyweds.

Dear Rain, call me crazy…but I’m so happy you’ve decided to come today. It’s finally cool enough to wear my coral pants. On that note Dear Coral Pants, you are awesome: bright, fun, and comfy. Dear Pennsylvania, you are looking at your newest registered voter. Boom, I’m a big kid now! Dear Professor Erickson, I know that calc test was only last night, but I would really love to know my grade. K thanks. Dear #Shereadstruth, thanks for continually challenging me through your devotionals…I need it. Dear Bump App, you may be the coolest thing since sliced bread. Dear Blog Ladies, oh how I love your posts! Dear Kitties, I’m so glad you cuddled with me today while I read my book. And finally, Dear Nail Polish, I love you so much, why must it be so hard to choose which color to use?!?!

Thursday, July 19, 2012

I decided to make this iPhone dump a weekly thing for Wednesdays, why? Because Wednesday was just random enough to work :) {yes, I am aware it is technically Thursday now. Sue me} Anywho, here is my past week according to my iPhone:

Top: My cats sleep in the weirdest places (the black one is hanging off that table, and yes…that is a drawstring bag. Parkour?) // Yummy fancy sodas at an Italian bistro my friend and I stumbled upon. Mine is the Fizzy Lizzy hehe // My last devo of the “Surrendered Life” #shereadstruth (I am currently doing their “Soul Detox” and “Prayer” studies, and LOVING them) Bottom: My cat apparently finds my horrible screaming singing soothing, and she helped me do my calc homework // I baked a whole bunch of these mini beauties on Saturday for a party my mom was attending…and made some normal-sized deliciousness for my fam // I’ve decided to make a dent in this pile of books I’ve been wanting to read, Coffee & tea have been helping.

Top: Just lovin’ me some #shereadstruth // Lunch with my pappa at our new favorite Indian resturant Middle: Reading & enjoying my baking skills while it rained // Once again #shereadstruth (can you tell I like it?) Bottom: My first attempt at a sock bun…success!! // Two photos testing out the filters on my new pixlromatic app…aka being narcissistic

Top: The nasty bug on my passenger-side window…I may or may not have waited for it to fly away before I left my car // Some cuddle time with my kitty // New haircut awkward smile // Red Lobster with mi madre Bottom: The dead bird that has been on my driveway for two days now (my mom & I have both refused to move it, and my dad is out of town on a business trip….I guess its staying there for now) // Feeding my froyo addiction by checking out one of the new places with my friend (What, I’m just quality control & its not my fault they’ve opened 7 froyo places in the past few months :p) // Look how cute Menchie’s sppons are!!

And now for more of my Instagram Photo of the Day Pictures (which I am still inconsistant with)
Day 11: Letter // Day 12: Texture // Day 15: Finger // Day 17: My addiction // Day 18: PlateFollow me: @serogers22

Well at least I’m getting in the '”bloggy” habit of photographing my of my day, regardless of how interesting it actually is. Oh well!

P.S. Let’s talk about how Bloglovin’ did updates this week and then wouldn’t let me access my account!! I had to go two days without catching up with my blogs, which to me is a BIG deal. So big, I actually recreated a new account. I think I may be obsessed a tad! This picture pretty much sums that up:
Why do you ladies lead such interesting lives?!?!!?

Friday, July 13, 2012

Today I only ventured out of my house to grab some Starbucks. Exciting life, I know. But Honestly today was a good day. I caught up on some shows I missed (including last night’s premiere of Big Brother), did some house work, and took a stroll down memory lane. You see, today I searched into the back of my closet and pulled out my old toe shoes from ballet….and I may or may not have put on one of my old leo’s. I started ballet when I was five years old, and continued until I was thirteen, minus the year I took off to play soccer. My seven years of learning housed some of the greatest moments I’ve had. I always looked forward to my class each week: My mom driving me to Mrs. Harvison’s house. Walking around the back of her house to the studio door, and the distinct smell of resin and potpourri filling the air inside. Slipping on my shoes as Mrs. Harvison places a record of classical music on the record player, signaling it was time to go to the bar for warm ups. The countless pliés, torjettes, and leaps I practiced. I hope those memories never leave me. Ballet was more than dance to me, it was a passion. I still remember the day my teacher told me I was ready to advance to pointe shoes…my excitement was overwhelming. I remember the nerves that filled me up before my first solo in a recital. I remember the hours spent laughing with the friends I made. Sadly, I also remember the day I was told it was going to end; the day Mrs. Harvison announced that she was retiring after 37 years of teaching. It killed me to think that I wouldn’t continue under her instruction, or that I wouldn’t have the special senior solo in the recital that the girls who graduated did. But mostly, I hated that it meant I had to stop dancing, because all the other ballet schools were just too expensive.So today as I danced like a fool in my empty house and attempted to balance on my tippy toes, I reminisced about my ballet muscles that are long gone, and the memories that came with them.

But of course I couldn’t talk about this without a few photos….

My very first year: I was a pony for a carousel…you can almost see my pink yarn tail in this photo haha

My very last year (as seen by my teary puffy eyes…I was a tad emotional)

Some of the pins I received each year. Whaddup perfect attendance

Each year we received a rose at the recital, I kept every one! (The dusty one up front is from my first year)

When Mrs. Harvison was retiring, she let each girl take something home from her dance studio as a keepsake. This figurine still sits on my book shelf

I found my old dance teacher on Facebook AND she commented on the photo I posted of my old shoes!! To say I was psyched is an understatement :)

To this day, the art form still fascinates me. The way the pro’s look so effortless is amazing. There is no doubt in my mind that if I ever have a little girl, she will totally do ballet….at least for a few years ;)

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

I figured I would jump on that blogger’s bandwagon of posting iPhone pictures documenting my life lately. I am in no way claiming this stuff is super interesting and amazing…but hey, it’s my blog :p So here we go:

Let’s start out with something humorous…aka me pretending to be fashionable and document my outfits…Please do not hesitate to laugh at my beautiful bathroom mirrors pictures. Let’s just say this is exhibit A of why I am in no way a fashion blogger. So cute.

Top: my not-so-tiny cat deciding my shoulder was the best place to sleep (her butt in my face too…sweet) // a froyo date with my dad, he’s quite possibly the only person who gets more excited about this stuff than me // my ever-growing collection of froyo punch cards. It’s an addiction people.Middle: some photos of my #shereadstruth devotionals. I could go on forever about how amazing this study has been, and how said I am that tomorrow is my last day :/Bottom: A jewelry stand at Rice’s Flea Market that my dear friend Amy & I explored // Our HUGE cupcakes we bought at the market. Seriously people, they were like cupcake on steroids. Delicious steroids. // A very encouraging post that came up on my Bloglovin’ feed. I highly recommend Nicole's blog, she is amazingly faithful to God and her relationship with her now-fiancé is inspiring. I just got out of a relationship that was not honoring God, so this post has a special place in my heart so I can pray for my future boyfriend’s faith…whenever he enters my life!

Finally, as I mentioned in this post, I am participating in Instagram’s July Photo a Day Challenge. Here are photos so far….I’ve missed a couple of days (days 5, 7, 8). Whoops. Day 1: Self Portrait // Day 2: Busy // Day 3: Best Part of My Day // Day 4: Fun // Day 6: Chair // Day 9: Big // Day 10: Favorite Color Follow me: @serogers22

Anywho…these pictures are my life recently (other than the other pictures I’ve already shared). I’m still figuring out formatting details, so we shall see if more iPhone Happenings are in my blog future.

Saturday, July 7, 2012

This past week has been a blast for me. On Tuesday night, one of my best friends Travis came to visit me from school. We had such a fun week! I figured I would share some highlights with you guys!
On the the fourth, we started our day with some tennis in the killer heat. Let’s not talk about how he beat me 12 games to 0. Obviously I’m a tennis pro. Oh and Travis totally made friends with the park geese (aka his fans). He decided to repay them by chasing them. Naturally. After enjoying a wonderful steak dinner cooked by my papa, we met up with my friend Julie to watch some fireworks, and even found a giant jalapeño to take pictures with!
On Thursday, we hopped on a train and ventured into Philly for the day. We explored the historical district, went to the Franklin Institute, wandered through Chinatown, ate way too much in the Reading Terminal Market, and got lost took an adventure through Philly on a bus. Confused about that last one? Well let’s just say taking a random bus in hopes it is going to take you toward the zoo was not my brightest idea, although we definitely got to see a lot of the city! Thankfully Travis could navigate us, because I was on the verge of stressing about that one :)
Chinatown was so cool. We found an indoor market called the Chinese Bazaar with tons of interesting and hilarious stuff, browsed some bakeries, and even bought a barbeque quail…bet you can’t say that everyday!

We also checked out some tourist classics like the historical district (but the lines were too long to see anything…yay day after July 4th!), Love Park, drove past Pat’s and Geno’s Steaks, and my personal favorite place to see when I go into the city: the Franklin Institute. Let me tell you, that museum is the bomb! We had fun running through the giant heart, checking out some exhibits, and even seeing a planetarium show that Travis may or may not have dozed off in. But hey, it was a long hot day outside :p
Now for our favorite part of the day: Reading Terminal Market (aka the most wonderful place on earth…sorry Disney). To say we had food comas is an understatement. What, you’ve never been there? I am so sorry. The colors, the smells, the variety. It is a food overload!! I mean, you name the cuisine—they got it. We ended up having breakfast, dinner, and dessert there because there were just so many choices! I honestly could go into the city and just stay there the whole time so I could attempt to sample all of the vendors foods. Ready for the mouth-watering details? For breakfast I had freshly squeezed strawberry-kiwi-mango juice and a HUGE bacon, egg, & cheese croissant. For dinner I had a Mediterranean chicken, avocado, cucumber, spinach sandwich with pear chutney, washed down with “Victory Juice'” (aka apple juice, orange juice, and strawberry lemonade…it may sound gross but it was hea-ven!). And for dessert I had a s’mores cupcake, which the vendor partially warmed up for me because he said it’s the only true way to do it. Let’s just say this cupcake may have ruined any other chocolate cupcakes for me….and the buttercream—melt. in. your. mouth. I also brought my parents home some cinnamon-raison-walnut cookies. And no, I did not try the chocolate-covered onion pictured about…but it was featured on “Bizarre Foods”!
Well, we were pretty wiped after our Philly travels. On Friday Travis had his first Rita’s water ice and Philly cheesesteak and we lounged at my friend’s pool to beat the heat. Having him visit me was so fun, and I loved showing a New Yorker my stomping grounds. I am truly blessed with the friends God has placed in my life :)
P.S. sorry for this lengthy post…this week was just jammed-packed with fun stuff to share!!

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Yesterday I had the great opportunity to enjoy one of the local parks with my lovely friend Amanda. Other then the blisters on my feet (why did I think flip flops were a good idea?), it was a great day. We walked around the beautiful Lake Galena, stuck our toes in the water, almost rescued played with an adorable cat, and talked. For hours :). It was so fun! I love being able to call this sweet girl my friend. We can act like total goofballs with each other, never run out of things to say, and she always encourages me with her faith. It is truly a blessing to have an amazing intentional friend like her. Here are some pictures from our adventures in the park:

Ecclesiastes 4:9-11”Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!”